“Zimbabweans will still vote for Mugabe’s corpse even when he’s dead” — Wife says

First lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Grace Mugabe has said that her husband, Robert Mugabe is so much loved by his people to an extent that even if he dies, he will still be fielded as a candidate in a presidential election and Zimbabweans will still massively vote for him.

The 51 years old first lady, who now performs most of his aged husband’s presidential functions and is touted as his possible replacement said this during a rally by the ZANU-PF, the Zimbabwean ruling party.

“If Mugabe dies, we will field his corpse as a candidate for elections to prove that people love him.”

She told thousands of cheering supporters at the rally in Buhera, Eastern Zimbabwe.

“You will see people voting for Mugabe as a corpse. I am seriously telling you – just to show people how people love their president.” she added.

Grace Mugabe further echoed her husbands role during the guerrilla war against white rule, adding that Mugabe’s associates whom she accused of plotting to take over from him were too old to take power.

“Anyone who was with Mugabe in 1980 has no right to tell him he is old. If you want Mugabe to go, then you leave together. You also have to leave. Then we take over because we were not there in 1980.” She said.

92 year old Mugabe has increasingly become scarce in the public while the first lady increased her public engagements in recent months. Late last year, the first lady told a women congregation that she was ready to run for the presidency since she was doing everything for her husband.

Mugabe who is set to turn 93 on Tuesday has ruled the southern Africa nation since 1987 amidst a tumbling economy and poor human rights record. A popular pastor who last year led a popular protest against the Mugabe regime was recently arrested, and after he was released on bail he expressed interest in contesting against Mugabe in the country’s 2018 General election.

Though it is not yet clear how he will fare against a living Mugabe, it is much harder predicting how he will fare against his corpse.